The Enkolpion of Agathangelos, Bishop of Karyoupolis

This priceless work was donated by Bishop of Karyoupolis Agathangelos, nicknamed ‘Latinos’, with the will he dictated in Corfu in 1736, shortly before he died, in which he bequeathed many precious objects to the Monastery. Agathagelos had become a brother at the Monastery in 1722 and was connected with the Metochion in Zakyntos.
The enkolpion cost him ‘two hundred and thirty gold sequins’. In the centre is a large oval stone, possibly amethyst, bearing an incised full-length frontal figure of Christ in the hieratic official type standing on a cushion, holding a closed Gospel book in his left hand and raising his right in blessing. The stone and the incision are dated in the late Byzantine period, based on the incisions on the nimbus (Ο ΩΝ) and the cushion, used for emperors and archangels during the Paleologan period. The stone is framed with small red precious stones and is set in a circlet of larger stones, each of which is surrounded by a border covered with painted enamel. A tiny Russian icon of Saint Nicholas is placed on the reverse, encircled by the backs of the gilded mounts of the precious stones with enamel decoration, a novel characteristic found in 17th and 18th century Russia. From the lower side of the encolpion hang three remarkably large precious stones
The enkolpion is dated at the 18th century and attributed to the Russian school, with the exception of the late Byzantine central stone. It follows the custom of including earlier icons of various material in Bishop’s and Patriarch’s pectorals and exhibits a variety of techniques, materials and styles. The close affinities between this work and similar ones in Moscow, suggest that this too was made there.